Car underframe



Sept. 24, 1935. J, E. MUHLFELD 2,015,188

CAR UNDERFRAME Sept. 24, 1935. .1; E. MUHLFELD CAR UNDERFRAME Filed March 18, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 24, 1935. .1. E. MUHLFELD CAR UNDERFRAME Filed March 18, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 24,Y 1935 CAR UNDERFRAMEa @general utility gondola car or a side dump or hopper bottom type of car although somefeatures.

ofthe invention are not limited to such cars..

YHeretofore, side dump hopper Vcars have been provided with wide internal bracing for the sides of the car and with deep hoppers and therefore theycould not be used for carrying long articles such as pipe, etc. and the deep -hoppers would notv permit a man, without-difficulty, to Work inside of the car for handling such articles. VThey have' also been, provided with doors which are pivoted' to'the sides of the car above the dischargeopen.- ing and which do not support materialwhile it is being discharged. rlliese cars included' an i'nclined floor-extending outwardly beyond the rails on each side Vsoas to discharge the material on. the outside ofthe rails. VThey have also included center sills* and side sills, either Yor both of which serve as the main longitudinal members of the underframe for carrying the car loadv and transmitting bufling and pulling forces and, where inclined iioor structure wasv provided between the center sill and the side sill, the oor structure has been superimposedupon the complete structural members ofthe underframe andhas-contributed nothing Vto the. rigidity and strength of the under-'- frame.

One of themain objects of the present invention is to provide a side dumping. car having an inclined floor between the trucks, and doors which are hinged to the outer portions of floor to form an extension of the floor for discharging material on the outside of the rails when thedoors are in open position. I

Another main object of the present invention is toprovide a side dumping-car havingV an inclinedV toin whichV the inclined floor portions formga Y substantial contribution to the underframe structure and at the same time provide a floor having a minimum width and weight andthe necessary strength.

Another Aobject ofthe invention is to provide hoppers which will be shallow enough to permit Varman to move from one part of the car to another without muchdioulty when it is used as a generalutility car.. y

It is another object ofthe present invention to provide a iioor inclined downwardly Vand outwardly from the center sill substantially throughout.` thelengthof. the. car so that the entire load may be discharged through downwardly and out- Wardly opening doors.

` AnotherV objectof the invention is to eliminate to a substantial degree the deteriorationV of the car structure due to the` loosening up offjoints betweeninterconnected parts and due to the corrosion resulting from the seepage of vdirt and moisture into the crevices between interconnected parts... n

These andl other detailobjects of the invention Vare attained in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top view of one-half of the car underframe.V f

Figure 2 is aside elevation of. the same. Figure Sis. a verticallongitudinalsection taken Vontlieline 31--3 of Figure 1.V

car andl having reinforcing. flanges 2 along their '5,A preferably of' box-shape cross section, bolsters 6 also of box-shape Vor inverted U-seotion, and a yplurality of cross beams 1, each comprising a.

vertical'web having upper flanges 'la and diverging lower anges 1U.

A iioor which forms the bottom inclined walls of the hoppers extends downwardly and outwardlyfrom the longitudinal center line of the underfiame towards the side sills and merges with the center sill webs I as indicated at 8. Between thetruoks, this floor includes sections 9 with their lower edges terminating approximately midway between the center sill webs I and side sills 3 at points above and a short distanceinside of rails UNITED STATES. PATENTOFFICE the transverse members.

tion of the floor forms a cover plate or top member as indicated by relative positions of wheel flanges in Figure 7. Over the trucks, the oor sections IB extend downwardly and outwardly from the center line of the car at a less steep angle and also extend outwardly a greater distance than sections 9 to points substantially directly beneath the side sills 3. Figure 5 shows the relative positions of the inclined floor sections I 0 and the truck wheels 4 and wheel pieces I8. Each end of each floor section merges with the edges of the cross beam web 'l or its flanges 1b or with the corresponding elements of the bolster or center sill. Y

Preferably al1 of the elements of the underframe described above including the hopper floor sections and side sills are part of anV integral cast structure whereby the usual overlapping flanges, rivets and assembling works are eliminated and there are no crevices between portionsY of the floor and the cross beams and center sills andl .are in open position they direct the discharge of material outside of the rails. Portions of the side sills over the trucks will include integral hinge butts I3 for mounting doors C which swing inwardly against the outeredges of the floor sections IU.

Both sets of doors are locked in' position to prevent discharge of material in car by well known locking means indicated at E and F and this means forms no part of the present invention. Chains G are provided at each side of thedoors D to support the outer portions of the doors when the material is being discharged. The upper portions of the chains are secured to the lugs I9 and 20 formed integral with cross beams 1, and the lower ends are secured to outwardly projecting lugs 2l at the sidesof the doors D.

The floor extends across the center of the car and substantially from end to end of the car, adjacent sections being interconnected through The intermediate porof the center sill structure and the outer portions of the oor sections form deep reinforcing webs for the center sills. The outer portions of the floor are connected to the side sills by the lower portions of the transverse members and this structure constitutes substantial bracing between the center and side sills.

Preferably the bolsters include. integral center plate and side bearing elements I4 and I5 respectively, the centerplate being reinforced by suitable radial ribs I6. The transversemembers 1 have a series of ribs I1 extending between the center sill webs I and the under-side of floor sections 9 and Il) and bracing these members across the center line of the car.

It is not essential that all of the features described be included in the under-frame in order to form a novel structure and many of vthe features are novel irrespective of the integral cast metal structure preferred. Obviously, the parts may be varied in extent and shape without departing from the spirit of the invention and I contemplate the exclusive use of all modifications coming ywithin the scope of my claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car underframe, a center sill element, and a floor inclined downwardly and outwardly from said element, the outer edge of the portion of said floor over the car trucks terminating substantially beneath the side of the underframe, and the outer edge of the portion of said floor between the car trucks terminating intermediate the side of the underframe and said element.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 which includes a side sill and means for mounting.

hinged doors on said side sill over the car trucks and means for mounting hinged doors on the edge of said floor between the car trucks.

3. In a railway car underframe, transverse members, an inclined floor extending between .said members and downwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the car, the degree of inclination and the width of that portion ofthe floor over the car trucks being different from that portion of the floor intermediate the car trucks, said portions and members being united and forming a continuous floor surface.

4. In a railway car underframe, a center sill, side sills, a continuous floor inclined downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of said center sill, and elements connecting said side sills and the lower outer portions of said floor whereby said floor forms a transverse brace between said side sills.

5. In a railway car underframe, a center sill, a side sill, a floor extending downwardly and outwardly from said center sill, a transverse member between said sills comprising an upright web with its lower outer portion terminating in di- Verging flanges extending between said side sill and the lower outer portion of said floor.

' 6. In a railway car underframe, a center sill, a side sill, and an inclined floor extending downwardly and outwardly from said center sill towards said side sill substantially throughout the length of the car, the portions of said floor over the car trucks being arranged less steep than the portions of said oor intermediate the car trucks, the portions of said side sill over the car trucks being at a higher level than the portions of said side sill between the car trucks.

'7. In a railway car underframe, a center sill,

side sills, a transverse transom member between said side sills, and a floor web inclined downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of said center sill and extending continuously substantially from end to end of the underframe and constructed integrally with said center sill and trans- 55 verse member.

8. In a dump car,.a series of hoppers on each side of said car having inclined floor members extending downwardly and outwardly from the transverse center of said car and having discharging openings for discharging material to the sides of the car, the angle of inclination of the inclined iloor members for the hoppers over the trucks being less steep than the angle of inclination for the inclined floor members between the trucks, doors forming closures for said hoppers, the doors for the hoppers located over the truck being swingingly mounted at the upper portion of the hoppers, said doors extending downwardly and inwardly, and doors for the hoppers between the trucks swingingly mounted to the outer edges of said inclined floors, said latter doors extending upwardly and outwardly in closed position.

9. In a railway car underframe, a center sill, a floor extending downwardly and outwardly from said center sill, and a transverse member extending outwardly from said sill and iloor and comprising an upright web with its lower outer portion terminating in diverging flanges merging with the lower outer portion of said floor.

10. A railway car underframe comprising in a single casting spaced holsters, intermediate cross beams, center sill structure, and a floor inclined downwardly and outwardly on both' sides of the,

longitudinal center line of the car and Vmerging with said holsters, cross beams, and center sillY structure.

11. In a railway car underframe, an inclined oor extending outwardly and downwardly from the longitudinal center line of the underframe, the degree of inclination and width of thatl portion of the ioor over the car trucks being dilerent from that portion of the floor intermediate the ear trucks, said portions being united to form a substantially continuous floor surface from end to end of the car.

l2. In a railway car underframe, an inclined floor extending downwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal center line of the underframe, the degree of inclination and the width of thosev portions of the iioor over the car trucks being different from those portions of the floor intermediate the car trucks, allV of Said portions being united to form a substantially continuous iioor surface from end to end of the car. f

JOHN E. MUHLFELD. 

